Friday, 26 June 2015

Hi and Welcome to this week's blog hop. You may have arrived here from Judy's blog. She always has such lovely projects.

Or you may have come from the CASEing the Catty blogpage. If you get lost along the way you can find a full list of all the designers here.

Either way it's great that you are here.

Welcome to another round of the bloghop for CASEing the Catty. This week we are inspired by the projects in the Love and Sympathy section of the catalogue. This was hard because there are just so many beautiful inspiration pics in this section, however I was immediately drawn to the picture on page 25 the very first time I saw it.

I have to say however, that this was not an easy card to CASE. I used the Awesomely Artistic Set and substituted a few elements. I don't have those lovely label Framelits so I punched each strip with the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch on either end and then trimmed the stamped layer back a little. I did't want to use a doily so I embossed a circle of vellum instead, and in place of washi tape I threaded the seam binding through both tags and wrapped it all the way around the card.

The image on the base wasn't quite standing out enough so on my third attempt I heat embossed it with clear powder which is such a beautiful effect and one I don't do enough of. Similarly the dragonfly is heat embossed with silver powder and coloured with blender pens in the Island Indigo and Early Espresso. I do love the superfine silver thread but it's quite fiddly to work with, however it certainly adds something. When I finally finished I was dismayed to find I'd reached for a retired set for the sentiment ( One in a Million) but there was no way I was going to redo the card!!!

In the end I decided It wasn't going to let it beat me so I tried a much faster card with the same set, and thankfully this one came together much more easily.

Now you get to hop along to Kathryn's blog and catch up on her creative goodness by clicking here.

Tuesday, 23 June 2015

Recently on the CASEing the Catty Birthday bloghop the very talented Rachel Palmieri CASEd the birthday card on page 5 of the catalogue. She made a collection of cards and they struck me as being a perfect way to use up strips of beautiful paper. You can check out her gorgeous samples Here.

This was a quick set of thankyou cards, and I just love this old set of paper, which I was happy to discover matches beautifully with the new Watermelon Wonder Cardstock and ink. You can use just about any sentiment or simple image in the circle tag. I've used a few different sets here

Friday, 19 June 2015

Welcome to this weeks Blog Hop. I hope you find lots of inspiration looking at all the gorgeous cards made by the CTC team using the Thanks section of the catalogue on pages 13-18. Maybe you have arrived here from Helen's Blog, or maybe you are at the beginning. Either way you can keep going around the circle and if you get lost you can find the full list of participants here.

Well after my fundraiser on the weekend #creativerelief -raising funds for the Western Qld Drought Appeal- I needed lots of thankyou cards for all the generous people who helped make the day such a success. I have made quite a few different sets this week but this post is about the CASE from the Catalogue.

The first time I flicked through the catalogue I loved the butterfly and vellum card in the basket on page 13. It seems it also caught the eye of a few of the team members which is great because we all get to share our versions with you.

I made 2 using the new in colours Tip Top Taupe, Cucumber Crush and paper from the Cherry on Top paper stack, but then I also needed a masculine version so I swapped out the butterfly for a star. It's quite a versatile layout and I will certainly be using it again.

TheFancy Foil Designer Vellum works so well with these cards and there are plenty of options for stamp sets which would work. I have use the text from Crazy for You and Because You Care and Build a Birthday, as well as the Butterfly Thinlits, the mini clothespins and some bakers twine.

I was happy to use up some more of my stash of DSP from the All Abloom Pack with Mossy Meadow, Island Indigo and Pistachio Pudding to keep it nice and bright, as well as some bits and pieces lying on the desk. (Who says masculine cards need to be dull?)

I just love the Project Life Grid Cards as focus pieces on my card fronts.(which are really economical at only $6.25 for 50). They work really well for easy cards and they are a nice weight cardstock. They were included in one of the designs we made at #creativerelief.

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Saturday June 13 saw 26 participants making cards and having a great afternoon raising funds for the Western Qld Drought Appeal.Many of the ladies had never tried card making but everyone had a lovely afternoon and went home with 4 cards they had made themselves. These were the cards I designed.

Each table had a Stampin Up demonstrator from my little team guiding and assisting, and participants moved from table to table working at their own pace. My beautiful Mum and her cousin came up on the train from Nambour to Rockhampton to help and they ran the Crafternoon Tea buffet superbly.

Mutidraw prizes

Some of the donated cards which sold like hotcakes!

Another Mother and Daughter team of Happy Stampers

Silent Auction from the SU Donation Box

Thanks to TCC who donated the use of the hall

My beautiful Mum and me.

Stamping Up donated a box of goodies which I was able to make into loads of prize packs, and lots of people donated other raffle goods for the Lucky Door prizes, a multi draw and a silent auction. Friends donated time and ideas to put the kits together. I put the word out to other Demos and received a swag of ready made cards which we sold before and after and on the day. (Yay for SU demos!) Others made straight cash donations. Every little bit helps.

Funds are still trickling in but I'm so pleased to say that we have raised over $1800. Thanks to everyone who assisted. I couldn't have done it without lots of support.

And would you believe there is some rain falling in the west? It won't be enough to break the drought but hopefully it will lift the spirits of those who have been struggling for so long.
#lovetothewest.

Thanks so much, Please keep them all in your prayers,LizEDITED 25.06.2015THE FUNDS HAVE FINALLY COME THROUGH FROM EVENTBRITE. AND TRANSFERRED TO ST BRIGID'S LONREACH DROUGHT APPEAL FUNDWE RAISED A TOTAL OF $2439.20THANKYOU ALL SO MUCH.Liz

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

I have such a lot of beautiful paper and I tend to hoard it - mostly because I find it hard to cut into a beautiful print! Maybe you are like me? Yet when I make a card using the beautiful paper that makes me happy too, so I have told myself to stop hoarding and start sharing ! I still think that the Venetian Romance DSP is one if the nicest sets I've ever bought and I am pleased to see it at such a good price on the clearance rack.
This design is one I saw on Pinterest and gave been waiting to try it.

I did add a few extra details.

I used Gorgeous Grunge with Island Indigo and Pistachio Pudding to decorate the envelopes and the retired hostess set Because You Care for the sentiment. I love the Kraft card on Soft Suede. The inside has only a strip of DSP to decorate to keep it super simple. This is a thankyou gift for one of the many generous people who helped me raise funds for the Western Qld Drought Appeal at my #creativerelief fundraiser last weekend. You can still go online to donate to the Appeal or through any branch of the Westpac Bank

Friday, 12 June 2015

Well my much awaited stamp set arrived and I have had only limited time to play as I have a cardmaking fundraiser on this weekend raising money for the Western Qld Drought Appeal. the theme for the CASEing the CATTY blog hop is Birthday, but I didn't quite CASE any of the Catalogue Birthday prompts but I need a card for a special friend next week. Make sure you hop on over and check out all their birthday inspiration.

I just love this set and played with watercolouring and layering using Rose Red, Wild Wasabi,Pool Party, Coastal Cabana and Crumb Cake, and used up a few bits and pieces lying on my desk.

I can see lots of potential for this lovely set. Here are the two creations.

I used Awesomely Artistic, Happy Birthday Everyone, and Build a Birthday

And the second option

and in this one I added the sentiment from another new set All Boxed Up.

So many lovely things to play with !

I wish Stampin Up! would bring back the shimmer paint! worked really well on the dragonfly.

Friday, 5 June 2015

Hello again, we have all been busy poring over the new catalogue and this weeks challenge was to make something inspired by any item which jumped out at you from the catalogue.

Well that sounds easy.....

Welcome, you will have come form Kathryn's beautiful blog and I hope you get inspired as you travel around the blog hop.

There were quite a few things that inspired me but I am going to go with a beautiful card which has all the hallmarks of my favourite style - layering! I am pretty sure the Awesomely Artistic will be one of the first stamp sets I purchase as it has so many lovely elements.

This is my inspiration photo from page 125

In the meantime I have usedEverything Eleanor and Summer Silhouettes, two of my all-time favourites as well as Bordering Blooms and Happy Birthday Everyone which is one of the new hostess sets. I did a second card using in an old retired favourite set calledOrganic Grace as it has the dragonfly and similar images to Artistically Awesome.

The emboss resist technique never fails to be fun way to make cards and the colours in the inspiration picture remind me of opals- which is very appropriate since this birthday card is for my Mum and Opal is her favourite stone.

The first card I used Clear embossing powder, but the second card which I prefer used White embossing powder. The watercolouring always looks best on the the Shimmer White Paper and I used Cucmber Crush, Bermuda Bay, Island Indigo and some Delightful Dijon for sponging.

the sentiment is heat embossed in Black onto a strip of Vellum. I did try staion on Acetate but couldn't get it quite dark enough.

I love the new floral embellishments and was happy to find that the retired Summer Starfruit blossoms also coordinate with the colours.

So here they are together, what do you think - white or clear?

And of course the inside and a coordinating envelope, How great is that Envelope Paper?